Pallet



Nov. 8, 1949 Filed March 26, 1945 O F. ARTHUR ET AL PALLET 3 Sheets-Sheet l finaeniord' .Nov. 8, 1949 o. F. ARTHUR ETAL 2,487,587

PALLET 7 Filed March 26, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. V Inner-(70rd W a. f bt w 2 Nov. 8, 1949 o. F. ARTHUR EI'AL 2,487,587

PALLET Filed l d a rch 26, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fay. 8

M. -4 m Fig 5.

Thu erlior'' name a... a, 1949 PALLET Oscar F. Arthur, Belle Vernon. Pa., and Ralph A.

Fletcher, Westford, Masai; said to Tri-State Engineering ton, Pa.,

Arthur assignor Company, Washinga corporation of Maryland Application March 28, 1945, Serial No. 584,904

' Claims. (01. 248-120) This inventionrelates to supporting structures utilized in handling shipping cases, containers and the like, and particularly in stacking the cases upon one another in a compact and efl 'lcient manner. Such structures are commonly referred to as pallets and are designed for use with "chisel" trucks especially equipped with a lifting bar or tongue arranged at the front thereof, together with means for raising and lowering the tongue as desired. Pallets are, customarily made of wooden planking to provide a base portion and a raised platform on which packing cases may be arranged. Openings are formed in the sides of the pallet through which the lifting bar may be inserted. In this way, pallets carrying containers may be conveniently picked up, moved about and arranged in stacked relation at any desired point.

An object of the invention is to improve pallets and to provide a light, durable and eilicient supporting structure which may be easily and cheaply constructed. Another object of the invention is to provide a fabricated metal pallet which includes structural means adapting the pallet for use as a supporting member for projectiles such as shells and the like. Other objects of the invention are set forth in the description of the invention. 1

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the pallet of the invention;

Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the pallet as viewed from the under side;

Fig. 3 is a plan view broken away to show both the top side of the pallet and underlying supporting structure;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation and partial cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail cross-sectional view;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation illustrating a modification of the invention;

Fig. '7 is another fragmentary elevatlonal view of the modification;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a cover member partly broken away to indicate a lower section of the base- Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the cover; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective fragmentary view of the cover.

The pallet of the invention is made up of a base, a supporting structure arranged in spaced relation above the base, and means mounted on the supporting structure to provide a deck or platform on which articles may be disposed. The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which specific structures have been employed. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to these specific structures, and may be embodied in other forms in the case of either the base, the supporting structure, or the means for providing a deck or platform on the structure.

In the preferred embodiment noted, the base of the pallet is formed of a group of metal strips arranged crosswise and secured in spaced-apart relation in the form of a lattice-work. Another group of metal strips, arranged in the formof a second lattice-work, is mounted on upright supports and secured in spaced relation above the base to constitute the supporting structure above referred to. Fixed to the second lattice-work of strips is a plurality of wire elements laid upon one another in crosswise manner to form a grating, which serves as a deck on which articles may be disposed (Figs. 1 and 2).

In fabricating the pallet, we first construct the base lattice-work. A plurality of strips, 2, 4 and 6, of suitable metal, such as spring steel, are arranged in spaced-apart parallel relation as shown in Fig. 2. Increased rigidity is imparted to the strips by forming corrugations l which extend longitudinally of the strips. Each of the strips is also pressed to form transversely extending grooves 8 (Fig. 4), at the central portion of the strips, and at points near their ends as shown. Three other strips of metal, l0, l2 and I4, corresponding to strips '2, 4 and 6, are then arranged in parallel spaced-apart relation at right angles to strips 2, 4 and 6, and fitted within the grooves 8 in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. The strips 2, l and 8 are then secured to strips l0, l2 and H by some convenient means as spot welding, at the points of contact in the grooves 8.

Similarly, a second lattice-work is formed of a plurality of parallelly arranged strips I6, I8, 20 (Fig. 2), formed with corrugations 2| and pressed to form grooves 22 (Fig. 4), in which strips 24, 2G, 28 are fitted and secured by welding. The second lattice-work is then secured in spaced relation above the base lattice-work by means of cylindrical supports 30 which are attached, as by welding, adjacent the points of intersection of the two sets of strips in each lattice-work. The cylindrical supports may consist of a section of piping or other suitable material and should be of a height such that they provide space sufiicient to permit insertion of a lifting bar of the character above described. A spacing of three and one-half inches between the two lattice-works may for example provide sufficient clearance in a vertical and distance has inches" between the .cylindricalsupp one-half has beenfiound "satisfactory. Other'dimensions may be employed.

It wilibefnoted" that the extremities of the strips of-"each 1attlcework project outwardly beyond' the cylindrical supports 80 and therefore may, be beneflted by'iurther stiffening means. Thisis provided by means of U-shaped metal braces-32 which are located between the projecting ends of the two lattice-works at each of the four corners and at points intermediate the corners on each of the four sides. The braces are preferably secured to the outer peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical supports as by welding, and also to respective upper and lower strip extremities. We may also desire to bend the ends of the strips around the outer edges of the bases to form smooth, rounded corners, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The second lattice-work of strips, together with the cylindrical supports and braces, forms a supporting structure upon which is mounted a group of rods 34, which are arranged in spacedapart relation and secured as by welding to the raised lattice-work. A second group of rods II is disposed above the rods 34, also in spacedapart relation, and secured to them in some way as by welding, to form a grating on which co tainers may be received. The rod members 3 and 38 may conveniently consist of steel wire of. a suitable gauge to provide stiflness.

Numeral 38 refers to a frame member for the grating and consists of a steel wire which is welded to the strips in the upper lattice-work along the outer ends of these members. The extremities of the rods 34 are in turn welded to the frame 38, being beveled at their tips in the manner indicated in Figs. 1 and 4. The ends of the rods 36 are bent downwardly into a position in which they contact the frame and are then welded thereto. The corners of the frame may much lighter-andmore durable support in which opcuspacesare provided on all sides and yet the overallheight of the pallet is maintained very small by reason of the thinness of the strips be squared by bending the irame member in themanner indicated, and this eliminates the presence of sharp projections such as might interfere with the use of the pallet.

between the ends of strips overlying one another in the two lattice-works. These bars may be desired to be inserted to provide a means for carrying fastening members which are sometimes required where a sling is passed around the ends of the pallet. The fastening means are passed aroundthe sling to prevent its being displaced. The bars may also be useful in other connections.

It may also be desired to use the upper latticework with other types of bases as wooden platforms. Also, the base lattice-work may be modifled in various ways as by adding diagonally arranged strips around the upright supports .to stiflen the base and increase its bearing surface. The wire members forming the grating may be secured in other ways than by welding and in particular by weaving the wires through one another in some desired manner such as a basketweave or other arrangement. The woven wire deck thus obtained is characterized by greater strength and makes possible lighter weight construction. Various metals such as aluminum, magnesium and others may be employed throughout the pallet and othermaterials such as wood, plastic, and the like, combined with metal in assembling the pallet.

In comparison with wooden pallets, the fabricated metal pallet of the invention providesa Numeral 39 denotes upright bars interposed trainers and to stacking operations.

utilized in the lattice-works, and by fabricating a grating from rod members to take the place of heavier wooden planking heretofore employed in forming the platform of the pallet. Increase in strength, coupled with low cost, is obtained from the used the metal elements described and manufacturing is greatly facilitated. The wide strips used in the base lattice-work provide firm supportwell adapted to holding con- The strips are arranged to project beyond the cylindrical supports and this presents a convenient means by which slings can be used on all four sides of the pallet. The two spaced apart lattice-works provide four open areas extending from the grating downwardly thus providing operating space for the retractable wheels of chisel trucks.

In Figs. 61linclusive we have indicated a modification of the invention, comprising means for receiving and supporting projectiles such as shells on the pallet. The shell-carrying means includes a rack formed of wire and extending a short distance above the grating of the pallet to receive the heads of the shells, and a cover member consisting of a wire framework adapted to be fitted over the tapered ends of the shells. (Fig. 6.) The cover member in all cases constitutes a separate shell-supporting element. The rack, however, may be constructed as an integral part of the grating or deck, or it may be made as a separate element.

The rack is preferably constructed of spring steel wire elements which are arranged in the manner illustrated in Figs. 6-8 inclusive, laid crosswise to provide a series of enclosures within which heads of projectiles, such as shells 40, may be supported. As viewed in Fig. 8, these wire elements include horizontally extending members 42, which are arranged in pairs at uniformly disposed intervals, and formed with bends 4|. Numeral it refers to horizontally extending wire elements also arranged in pairs and located underneath the horizontally extending elements, as

shown in Figs. 6 and 7. These wire elements are secured together by welding at points of crossing or by weaving, and there is thus obtained a plurality of enclosures which provide a rack for receiving the heads of shells. The height of the rack may be of any suitable dimension and good results have been obtained from a height of three-quarters of an inch. The wires forming the rack may be bent over alongtheir outer ends and secured to a grating as shown. The grating member may consist of the grating already described in connection with the pallet illustrated in Figs. l-5 inclusive, or a separate grating may be fabricated as a part of the rack and then secured to the upper lattice-work of a pallet, such as that shown in Figs. 1-5 inclusive, or various other arrangements may be resorted to. Spacing members of ring form may also be inserted in the rack to tightly grip the shell heads.

In conjunction with the rack we have also provided a cover member as illustrated in Figs. 6, 9, 10 and 11. The cover member includes a lower frame portion which is adapted to encircle the tapered tips of shells, and an upper grating portion which provides a deck extending well above the tips of the shells. A wire frame 50, preferably of rectangular shape, supports wires 52 and wires 54 which are arranged crosswise in spacedapart relation and secured in the position illustrated in Figs. 9 and 11. The ends of the wires are bent over to provide an upstanding grating in which are defined a. plurality of square areas. Below this grating are arranged wires 56 which are reversely bent upon themselves in th manner indicated in Figs. 10 and 11, to form shoulders on which the wires 54 bear (Fig. 9). Supported across the lowermost portions of e reversely bent'wires 58 is still another group oi. wires 58 arranged as shown in the lower half of Fig. 9, and in Figs. 10 and 11, to present square enclosures adapted to be fitted ends of shells 40 as indicated in Fig. 6. 1

Secured at one side of these wire enclosures are ring members 80 which are preferably formed with a diameter corresponding to the length of any one side of the square enclosures referred to Just above. An arrangement in which three rings on each side of the pallet and two more through the central portion of the pallet constitutes one desirable assembly. The ring members are designed to fit around the tapered ends of the shells and together with the wire enclosures provide for maintaining the shells in properly spaced relation.

A further important function of the rings is to permit a plurality of pallets carrying shells to be arranged in stacked relation with weight of the various units being more efliciently distributed throughout the entire fabricated structure, and especially with the development of a supporting column efiect derived from the load being directed against the shells, in which case these members are utilized to furnish strength and rigidity to the entire structure. Since the rings and wire enclosures are engaged against the shell tips at predetermined points, the upper grating portion of the cover member is positioned in spaced relation to the extremities of the shells and constitute a, satisfactory and convenient deck or platform on which other pallets may be stacked.

It is pointed out that the bent ends of the wires 52 and 54 are pressed inwardly at an angle of 45 or some other suitable angle, so that the extreme upper edge of the cover presents an over the tapered outer overhanging rail. This arrangement is particularly desirable in providing resistance in the cover to forces tending to collapse the cover in horizontal directions. In handling pallets loaded with shells, it frequently happens that pallets are moved by means of slings which are passed around the projecting corners of the upper lattice-work and extend upwardly around the cover, thus exerting a considerable force inwardly of the cover. The formation of the am gularly bent ends of wires 52 and 54 is especially effective in resisting such forces.

It may be desired to further strengthen the cover member against the pressure of tie straps, used to fasten the covers to the pallet-base, and also to provide fiat lateral bearing surfaces for adjacent shell pallets when tiers of these members are stacked adjacent to One another, as for example in the boxcar or a ship. For these purposes, we have provided corner boxing elements 62 consisting of right angularly bent pieces of metal which may be arranged on two sides of the cover, for example, in groups of four. These boxing elements may also be located so that they fall directly under points of contact of the tie straps. By this arrangement the boxing elements offer a stiffening efiect to the collapsing action of the tie straps, and in addition present 6 fiat lateral surfaces which facilitate packing arrangements oi the type referred to above.

The combined features of a double latticework of metal strips on which is supported a grating and a rack which ma also include a separately applied cover member, afi'ord an exceedingly eiIicient means of handling shells. The shells are maintained in spaced-apart relation, mounted on a substantially resilient body which tends to eliminate shock, and permits stacking operations to a very considerable extent. The shape of the shells and their construction are made use of and so combined with the cover member that a desirable column-strengthening effect is obtained in a stacked arrangement of loaded shell pallets. Resistance to deformation of the fabricated wire structure is provided for by both the shape and form of the fabricated parts and by the use of stiifening elements inserted at those points where greatest stress oc curs. The advantages of ligthness, strength, cheapness, ease of handling, saving of space, and others, are all obtained by the fabricated construction described.

In connection with handling projectiles such as are supported by the pallet construction described, it may be required to provide electrical ground wiring means, leading from each oi the shell units. It is pointed out that the all metal fabricated pallet structure of the invention may be electrically grounded by one ground wire in stead of a plurality of wires, as may be required in other types of pellets. lit should also be observed that the fabricated pallet structure is particularly desirable from the point of long life and semi-permanent storage purposes. Various sizes of shell noses can be accommodated by the pallet cover member, and finally, the structure is fire proof.

We claim:

1. An improved fabricated pallet comprising a base, a lattice-work. of metal strips arranged in spaced relation above the base on cylindrical supporting members, a grating secured above the lattice-work, said grating consisting of a plurality of steel wires arranged crosswise in spaced-apart relation.

2. A pallet for receiving and transporting containers comprising a plurality of strips of metal arranged crosswise to form a base lattice-work, a second lattice-work of strips mounted on cylindrical supporting members in. spaced relation to the said base lattice-work, a plurality of rod members secured above the second lattice worlr and arranged to form a grating and a frame member attached to the extremities of said rod members.

3. Improved pallet means for receiving and supporting shell cases comprising in combination a fabricated pallet base, a grating member mounted on the base for receiving the tell thereon, a rack secured to the grating and presenting a plurality of enclosures for encircling the larger ends of the shell cases, a cover member for engaging over the tapered ends of the said shell cases, said cover including a plurality of wire members laid crosswise and secured to one am other in spaced-apart relation, said wires being reversely bent to provide enclosures adapted to be fitted around the tapered ends of the shell cases, a plurality of rings attached to the wires adjacent the enclosures, said wires being formed to provide an upper grating extending above the extremities of the said shell cases when the ring are firmly engaged against the tapered ends of the shell cases.

4. A cover member for use in supporting shell cases on a pallet, said cover comprising a plurality of wire elements laid crosswise of one another, and secured in spaced-apart relation to form a grating, a group of reversely bent wires located below the said grating, a third group of wires extending crosswise of the lower portions of the said reversely bent wires to form enclosures lying substantially below the said grating, a plurality of ring members fixed at the under side of said enclosures, said rings and square wire enclosures adapted to engage the tapered ends'ot shell cases.

5. Means for supporting shell cases in stacked relationship comprising a base, rack means mounted on the base and formed with'enclosures for supporting the shell cases spaced apart from one another, an upper frame member presenting a plurality of enclosures in which are located bearing members, said bearing members adapted to engage over the tapered ends of shell cases, a deck located above the enclosures and base, said base, rack, frame and deck being secured together about a group of shell cases to form a. stacking unit, said stacking unit adapted to receive on its said deck other stacking units, and to provide for distribution of weight from other stacking units throughout the bearing members, the enclosed shell cases and the base.

OSCAR 1". ARTHUR. RALPH A. FLETCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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